Woah! Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning now has too many things on his plate. Already he is carrying the burden of the Manning legacy on his shoulders. Secondly, he finally got the chance to prove himself now that Quinn Ewers is gone. Plus, the young chap has caught the Heisman hype. But in his heart, Manning already knows that his fate hangs on a thin thread in Steve Sarkisian’s squad. After all, he is aware of the person who is getting ready to replace him. Already, the 4916-yard commit is coming off with flying colors, gaining some golden stars.   

Manning is leaving no stone unturned to make his stint as the Longhorns starter a major hit. The dual-threat quarterback possesses the ability to both pass and run. But it looks like fate has some different plans. Analyst Josh Pate has sounded the alarm for Manning on how there will be 5 other quarterbacks who might threaten the Texas star’s spotlight. Surprisingly, all of them come off as underdogs. The list includes—Oregon Ducks’ QB Dante Moore, Washington Huskies QB Demond Williams Jr., Ole Miss Rebels’ QB Austin Simmons, Ohio State Buckeyes QB Julian Sayin, and Baylor Bears QB Sawyer Robertson. But how about a fresh face stepping onto the Forty Acres scene? Here comes the new Texas Longhorns commit, Dia Bell. 

On the On3 Recruits podcast, host Steve Wiltfong shared his take on the Florida high school quarterback. “Well, Dia Bell has continued to get better every year, Josh. As a junior, he completed over 70% of his passes through for 2597 yards and 29 touchdowns, and he really added a running element to his game, went from just 86 yards as a sophomore to 561 as a junior, five rushing scores.” Now that’s some impressive numbers, isn’t it, folks? It was last year in June that Bell had committed to Sarkisian’s squad. Now what’s next for him?

The QB will join Texas in 2026 carrying the tag of being a “natural thrower,” coming up with the USP of multiple arm angles. So, is he the “next man up” for Sarkisian after Manning? At least the analyst feels so. Wiltfong stated, “One of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country regardless of graduation year…he can stand in the pocket buy some extra time, sprays the football all over the field, and again can extend plays. Get you chunk yardage with his legs. He’s the perfect fit for Steve Sarkisian.” He continued, “Arch Manning only needs one year. Then you get Dia Bell on campus next year as a true freshman.” Already Bell is strengthening his foundation.  

Steve Sarkisian’s post-Arch Manning plan looks good

Looks like Sarkisian finally got rid of the bad juju when it came to his quarterback dilemma. Once Manning declares for the draft in 2026, the HC can trust Bell to carry the legacy ahead. After all, the young chap earned a new accolade on Monday, February 24. The 2026 American Heritage QB was ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect and a five-star recruit in the updated On3’s ranking list. Do you know, just like Manning, he too carries a big last name?

Bell is the son of the former NBA veteran Raja Bell. With a strong resume of 67 carries, 61 yards, five touchdowns, and a career total of 4,916 yards, Bell is sure an asset by all means. He’s heading to Austin for another official visit June 20-22, and get this—he’s been straight-up recruiting for Texas on social media. He even hit up 4-star OT Felix Ojo with a “U already know the move fam” and the hook ’em emoji. So the QB is clearly all in. But how does he fit into Sarkisian’s QB puzzle? For that, we need to brush up on our memories of the trends in the past years.

Steve Sarkisian signed On3’s No.2 2021 prospect, Quinn Ewers, who also happened to be a five-star and the No.4 prospect in the 2022 cycle. Arch Manning too came off as the No.3 overall prospect in the 2023 cycle. So, here enters the last chance narrative for Manning. That’s why the hype surrounding Peyton and Eli Manning’s nephew will be through the roof. Already he made a sacrifice by not transferring this season. Will Manning script the perfect Longhorns farewell with a Heisman in hand before Bell takes the reins?